


Just Friends

by rootsbeforebranches



Series: More Than Friends [1]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 12:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16743985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rootsbeforebranches/pseuds/rootsbeforebranches
Summary: Ellie hadn't expected to meet her ex-husband again.But what came even more as a surprise to her was what he made her realize.





	Just Friends

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so I hope you excuse any mistakes.

Ellie definitely wasn't prepared for it...

She certainly hadn't expected to see Jake appear in the bullpen out of the blue one morning.

She had been talking to McGee and Torres about what they'd each done on the weekend, Nick hanging around behind her desk like he had been doing more and more often lately.

And of course she had heard the sound of the elevator door opening, but that was nothing unusual after all, with how many people enter and exit the elevator all day.

So naturally, she hadn't paid the sound any attention, hadn't taken notice of whoever exited it.

At least until McGee's amused smile at something Torres had said had suddenly turned into a surprised frown as he saw who came into view.

This made Ellie turn her head to the right, shock written all over her face as she saw who it was that was standing there, looking at them.

It was her ex-husband, ''Jake.''

Said man seemed uncomfortable and slightly nervous as the three agents stared at him.

Behind Ellie, Nick was confused.  
Though he couldn't see Ellie's expression from where he was standing behind her, he was able to see the look McGee had on his face, making him wonder just who the man was.

He'd never heard the name before, but the way Ellie and Tim reacted, and since Ellie knew the man's name, it was clear that the two knew him.

''Ellie,'' the way the man said her name confirmed his suspicions.

McGee stood up and went around his desk, coming to stand a meter away from Jake.  
''What are you doing here?'' he asked his coworker's ex-husband, knowing from the look on her face that Ellie was too speechless at the moment to get any words out.

''I have a meeting with the director. I can't tell you why though,'' he explained in a neutral tone of voice, earning a snort from Ellie.

Him not being able to tell her about his work after she left the NSA was part of why they got divorced, after all, so those words seemed kind of mocking to her, even if Jake hadn't meant them like that.

Jake seemed to ponder over something for a moment, before he asked her ''So... how are you?''

''I'm fine,'' she answered, though Nick noticed by her voice and her body language that she was a little stiff and tense.

So he promptly decided to lay a hand onto her shoulder and squeeze lightly, making her turn around to face him.

''Hey, you okay?'', he asked her, a look of concern on his face.

Ellie nodded her head at him, though she knew that he was aware that that was not exactly the case right now. Nonetheless, she was thankful for his concern and silent support through his hand on her shoulder, so she gave him a small smile.

She didn't want Jake to know how uncomfortable she was about meeting him again, especially since it was here, at NCIS, at their workplace.

Meanwhile, Jake watched the two agents, an unreadable expression on his face.  
Apparently, he hadn't expected the gesture from the unknown man toward his ex-wife.

And though he knew that he had no right to feel jealous or anything, since he was the one who cheated on her, which in the end was the trigger for their divorce, it was weird to him, to see another guy's affectionate gesture toward Ellie.

''Well, I'm gonna go meet the director now then. If you excuse me...'' he told them and then turned to go and walk up the stairs to Vance's office, the three of them watching him walk away.

When he was gone, Nick took his hand off of Ellie's shoulder and walked around her desk, leaning against McGee's desk as he looked at her.

From where he was still standing between his and Ellie's desk, he looked at her as well.  
And though Nick had asked the same question just a minute earlier, McGee felt like he needed to ask her again now that Jake was gone. Since even though her posture wasn't as stiff anymore as before, she still hadn't fully relaxed.

''Are you really okay?''

Ellie looked at the both of them and sighed, giving just the slightest shake of her head.

''It was...'' she seemed to be looking for the right words, a frown on her face as she spoke, ''It was weird seeing him again. I hadn't really been expecting to meet him again any time soon...'' she told them, screwing up her face.

''Okay, wait a second,'' Nick interposed, in a joking tone of voice, hoping to lighten up the mood. ''Who was that guy? An ex-boyfriend of yours?''

That question caused Ellie's frown to deepen and she grimaced again.  
''More like ex-husband,'' she answered, making Nick's jaw drop just a little.

She'd told him once, a few weeks after he'd joined the team that she got divorced, but that was about all he knew. It wasn't like he hadn't wanted to ask her about it or that he wasn't curious, but he never had, since he never deemed it appropriate to ask because when she'd told him about her divorce, it hadn't seemed like a topic she liked to talk about...but he had never thought he'd ever meet the guy she was once married to.

But now that he had met him, he couldn't hide his curiosity regarding that matter anymore.

His expression softened, turning sympathetic.  
''Why did you get divorced?'' he gently and understandingly asked.

''Uh...'' she seemed to think for a second about what exactly to tell him, how much she wanted to reveal about her marriage and divorce to him, before she continued talking.  
''We met when we were both working at the NSA...and I guess since we couldn't talk with anyone that didn't work at the NSA too, it was easy to fall in love with one of the few people who we could talk too. We eventually got married, and everything was going fine until I left the NSA to work at NCIS, and from then on, our marriage started heading south, I guess.'' she elucidated.  
He was her friend, and she trusted him, so she'd decided to tell him, it was only fair for him to know as well, she thought. McGee and Gibbs knew as well, after all.

''We started arguing more and more, couldn't really talk to each other anymore... we just weren't working. And though I think we both knew that our marriage was over, I think I -and he probably as well- only acknowledged it after he cheated on me...'' she revealed, the expression on her face kind of somber as she thought back to it.

''Wait, he did what?!'' Torres exclaimed loudly, furrowing his brow, his tone higher than usual.  
Who in his right mind would cheat on Ellie?

Ellie just shrugged her shoulders, knowing that Nick had heard what she'd said and was seemingly just upset about it.

Before either one of the three could say anything more though, Gibbs strode past their desk, saying ''Grab your gear. Dead marine in Norfolk.''

So they all grabbed their things and quickly followed their boss into the elevator, deciding to delay any further conversation until later.

________________________________________________________________________________

Later in the evening, Ellie was the only one in the bullpen, sitting at her desk, when, unfortunately, Jake's there again.

Their eyes met as he came to a stand in front of her desk, neither of them saying a word for a moment until Jake eventually worked up the courage to ask her about something.  
''I know that's not my place to ask, but... are you and him an item?'' he inquired reluctantly.  
Though he knew it was none of his business, since she wasn't his wife anymore, he still felt like he needed to know. Despite him being the one who cheated, he had wanted to repair their marriage, after all. She was the one who had wanted a divorce, not him.

Ellie frowned, unsure why he wanted to know that.  
But she was wondering what made him think that Nick and she are together.  
''Nick and I? How did you get that idea? We're just good friends.''

''Does he see it that way as well?'' Jake asked doubtfully. It seemed like he didn't believe her assertion.

''What do you mean?'' Ellie wanted to know, clearly irritated.

Jake shrugged his shoulders.  
''The way he laid his hand on your shoulder earlier when he realized you were feeling uncomfortable... The tone of voice he asked you with if you were okay...The way he looked at you...''

Ellie tilted her head a bit as she listened to what her ex-husband was saying.

''I know that expression, Ellie.''  
This caused Ellie's eyes to widen, this phrase now made her realize what he was implying, though Jake still kept on elucidating his point.

''It's the same look I used to look at you with... the look you give someone you're in love with...''

Ellie shook her head, not wanting to believe that.  
Nick and she were just friends, just like she'd told Jake.  
There's no way he has feelings for her, much less is in love with her, she thought.

Besides, hadn't he told her brother's that she's not his type?  
Jake had to be wrong.

''And you know what? I have the feeling he's not just a friend to you either...'' Jake added.  
''I think that maybe, you might have feelings for him as well. Even though you might not want to admit it to yourself.''  
Even though they weren't together anymore, had been separated for some years now, Jake had still been married to her for years, and therefore knew her quite well and could read her better than most people could, despite her reserved personality.

Ellie knew that too, but that didn't have to mean that Jake was right about this...  
Right?

But it seemed like Jake didn't expect a reply from her, after all, because he gave her a nod and then turned to leave.

 

As soon as he was in the elevator and its doors had closed, she started contemplating what he'd said.  
Now that she actually thought about it... maybe there was a slight possibility that her feelings for Nick had changed since he first became a part of the team.  
Maybe there was a tiny chance that she had developed romantic feelings for Nick...  
And now that she thought about all the flirting between Nick and her, the way he looked at her sometimes, how he more often than not was hanging out behind her desk, which she now figured he might not only do because he didn't like sitting at his own desk... she started thinking maybe Jake was also right about Nick having feelings for her.

And that made her wonder... were she and Nick really just friends?  
Or could there be something more between them...? Could they become something more than just friends...?


End file.
